Poker News

Len Butcher

I recently went to see impressionist/singer Gordie Brown at the Golden Nugget, where he performs every night except Wednesday and Thursday. Here’s a guy with great talent and who puts 110 percent into every show. The night I was there, which was a weeknight, the joint was packed and he got a well-deserved five-minute standing ovation at the end of his performance. I had a chance to catch up with him after the show to find out a little bit more about him. Brown hails from Montreal and began his working career as a political cartoonist for an Ottawa newspaper. His fellow workers secretly entered him in a contest after listening to him do some impressions in the office. He reluctantly entered, but ended up winning. That, he says, “Got a lot of media attention and then everything snowballed from there.”

It was also a big move for him because, he says, “I was basically shy, so winning the contest gave me the self confidence to continue.”

Not knowing exactly what area of showbiz he wanted to pursue, Brown began by writing songs and joining a band. He says, “The impressions really didn’t take hold until after I’d seen Rich Little perform. Before that, I’d done a bit of Elvis and Michael Jackson, but that was it. When I went to see Rich Little, I was in the front row and he shook my hand and I was so awed by his performance, I went home that night thinking, ‘if I can do two impressions, why I can’t I learn more?’

“Initially, I started out doing Rich’s material, but little by little started writing my own. I’ve always had a comic sense and my mind always thought that way. When I was on stage it was always easier for me to ad lib then to labor over writing a joke. So between the ad libbing and the writing, it all started to come together at the right time.”

He first came to Las Vegas in the late ’80s to look for work, didn’t have much luck, returned to Canada, but then got a call to come back to Vegas, and he hasn’t looked back.

After opening for people like Paul Anka and Rich Little, as well as other Las Vegas shows, he was asked to perform at the Golden Nugget.

“The Golden Nugget people have been wonderful. I’ve been happy with them and they with me, so it’s worked out well.” For now, Brown’s happy to be living and working in Las Vegas. It’s great when you can be home with your family every day (he has four children). “I just want to keep entertaining and building my name in this town.”

So far he’s doing a great job at both. Catch his show. You won’t be disappointed.

Andre Agassi’s 10th Grand Slam for Children will be featuring another superstar lineup when it takes to the stage Oct. 1 at the MGM Grand. Mary J. Blige, Celine Dion, Duran Duran, Earth, Wind & Fireand George Lopez are just a few of the stars already on board and David Foster will again return as musical director. This is a major event in our town and it’s all for a good cause.

It’s interesting to note that comedian Robin Williams, who has been a fixture at the event, will not appear this year, supposedly because of using blue material in his act. Also missing for the second year in a row is Dennis Miller, whose political comments two years ago brought on an angry outburst from Elton John during the closing act. Time to kiss and make up, guys.

Tickets are $150 and $100 (not including applicable service charges and taxes), and you can get them at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office, all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (Tower Records/WOW!, select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Robinsons-May stores and Ritmo Latino).

Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. You can also charge by phone, call MGM Grand Reservations at 800-929-1111, or Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Or you can go to www.mgmgrand.

com or www.ticketmaster.com

Is there anywhere you can’t get them?

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